Few genres so often feature movies that can simultaneously boast the title terrible and must-watch, but martial arts cinema has had plenty of outlandish films that achieve these unique criteria. From Hong Kong classics to films that were only discovered decades after they had been shot, martial arts movies lean into the campy, over-the-top, and truly ridiculous side of cinema. While some narratives may leave a lot to be desired, these terrible movies are often redeemed by featuring some of the best fight choreography of all time.
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While there are plenty of must-watch martial arts movies out there, such as Bruce Lee classics like Enter the Dragon or Jackie Chan triumphs like Drunken Master, there’s also a side to kung fu cinema that embraces a sense of silliness far beyond anything seen in those releases. With fake Olympian competitions hosted by disgruntled Nazis to kung fu legends fighting their way through the Underworld, all of these martial arts movies were terrible, but in a good way.
You are watching: 10 Must-Watch Martial Arts Movies That Are Terrible In A Good Way
10
Gymkata (1985)
Directed by Robert Clouse
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Gymkata
R
Action
Drama
Release Date
May 3, 1985
Runtime
90 minutes
Cast
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Kurt Thomas
Jonathan Cabot
-
Tetchie Agbayani
Princess Rubali
-
Richard Norton
Zamir
-
Edward Bell
Paley
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While Gymkata may have earned its star Kurt Thomas a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor, that does not mean it wasn’t a must-watch martial arts movie. As a film widely derided for its dubious premise, poor production quality, and strange setting, Gymkata told the story of an Olympic gymnast utilizing his martial arts skills to take part in a deadly competition in the fictional country of Parmistan. As a 1980s cult classic, Gymkata’s status as one of Maxim magazine’s ‘Worst Movies Of All Time’ only makes it more alluring to fans of so-bad-it’s-good martial arts movies.
Witnessing Thomas’s portrayal of Jonathan Cabot, an American athlete traveling to take part in a competition not won by a foreigner for 900 years, was truly a sight to behold, especially considering Thomas was a genuine former Olympian, and this was his lone movie role. As a hilarious movie whose humor was mostly unintentional, Gymkata featured a potential for a wish come true, the threat of nuclear destruction, and even the kidnapping of a princess.
9
Miami Connection (1987)
Richard Park Wu-sang & Y.K. Kim
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Miami Connection
Not Rated
Action
Crime
Music
Release Date
August 18, 1987
Runtime
86 Minutes
Cast
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Y.K. Kim
Mark
-
Vincent Hirsch
John
-
Joseph Diamand
Jack
-
Maurice Smith
Jim
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Miami Connection was set in a world where rock stars want to be ninjas, and ninjas long to be rock stars. Featuring a martial arts rock band going up against a group of motorcycle ninjas, this over-the-top fighting film explores the outlandish world of Florida’s drug trade through a cast of uniquely ridiculous characters. With co-director Y.K. Kim in the lead role as Mark, a Taekwondo instructor and rhythm guitarist of Dragon Sound, Miami Connection received harsh criticism when it was first released and performed poorly at the box office.
As a cult classic that was unavailable for decades, Miami Connection was reappraised by viewers after it was restored and re-released in 2012. As a love-it-or-hate-it kind of movie, the sheer ridiculousness of Miami Connection meant it joined the ranks of movies like Plan 9 from Outer Space and The Room in the discussion around terrible movies that people form an intense connection with. With a goofy energy that made it insanely watchable, Miami Connection needs to be seen to be believed.
8
Kill Or Be Killed (1976)
Directed by Ivan Hall
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Kill or Be Killed
PG
Action
Adventure
Release Date
June 17, 1976
Runtime
90 minutes
Cast
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Charlotte Michelle
Olga
-
James Ryan
Steve Hunt
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Norman Coombes
Baron von Rudloff
-
Daniel DuPlessis
Chico
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The South African martial arts movie Kill or Be Killed featured James Ryan as the famous fighter Steve Hunt, arriving at an Olympic-style competition only to realize he’s been trapped by an ex-Nazi general. Still humiliated over the Germans’ defeat at the 1936 Summer Olympics, Baron von Rudloff wants revenge, especially against the Japanese martial artist Miyagi, who had bribed the judges with diamonds. With this politically charged premise, Kill or Be Killed saw the various factions face off against one another in an isolated desert location.
Also released under the titles Karate Killer in the US and Karate Olympiad in South Africa, Kill or Be Killed may have had a plot so convoluted that it’s easy to get lost, yet the fight sequences were so spectacular it almost didn’t matter. Featuring an impressive cast of talented fighters, Kill or Be Killed showcased that there was far more to martial arts cinema in the 1970s than just American and Asian productions.
7
Ninja Terminator (1985)
Directed by Godfrey Ho
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Ninja Terminator
NR
Action
Release Date
January 1, 1985
Runtime
92 minutes
Cast
-
Jack Lam
Jaguar Wong
-
Richard Harrison
Ninja Master Harry
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Hwang Jang-Lee
Tiger Chen
-
Phillip Ko Fai
Uncredited
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Ninja Terminator writer, director, and producer Godfrey Ho utilized an unusual method of filmmaking for this ridiculous must-watch martial arts movie. Ho’s style was to film scenes that he would add to preexisting movies and then recut them together with actors dubbing their dialogue over the previous film to create an entirely new story. With this unusual method, Ninja Terminator reused more than 50% of its footage from the Korean movie The Uninvited Guest Of The Star Ferry.
Ninja Terminator didn’t feature any appearances from Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 and instead focused on a group of three martial arts students and their search for the magical Golden Ninja Warrior statue. As an over-the-top exercise in cheesy fun, Ninja Terminator was the kind of movie that was made to be watched at full volume with a group of like-minded friends who can hoot and holler at its sheer ridiculousness.
6
Master Of The Flying Guillotine (1976)
Directed by Jimmy Wang
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Master of the Flying Guillotine
R
Fantasy
Action
Release Date
April 24, 1976
Runtime
93 minutes
Cast
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Jimmy Wang Yu
Liu Ti Lung / The One-Armed Boxer
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Kam Kong
Fung Sheng Wu Chi
-
Doris Lung Chun-Erh
Wu’s daughter
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Sham Chin-Bo
Thai boxer / Nai Men
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While Master of the Flying Guillotine has achieved cult status, as a sequel to the 1972 classic One-Armed Boxer, it’s hard to view it as anything but a glorious mess. With Wang Yu back in his role as the one-armed Chinese martial artist Yu Tien Lung, it was thrilling to watch him face off with various enemies before his climactic showdown with a blind Lama from Tibet, dubbed the Master of the Flying Guillotine. With this blind fighter seeking revenge for two Lamas killed in the original movie, this kung fu classic was packed with tongue-in-cheek humor.
As a favorite of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, the Kill Bill director described Master of the Flying Guillotine as “one of my favorite movies of all time” (via Quentin Tarantino: Interviews.) With the original movie as one of the most iconic kung fu releases of the 1970s, this was a rare sequel that managed to live up to its predecessor as it leaned more heavily into the ridiculous nature of it all. While the outrageous B-movie energy of this release might lead people to dismiss it as terrible, its excellent choreography, sense of humor, and unique premise made it a must-watch movie.
5
Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky (1991)
Directed by Lam Nai-choi
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Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
R
Action
Release Date
October 5, 1991
Runtime
91 Minutes
Cast
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Louis Fan Siu-Wong
Ricky
-
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Gloria Yip Wan-Yee
Keiko
-
Yukari Oshima
Huang Chung
-
Frankie Chin Chi-Leung
Ah Hai
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Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky was a Hong Kong splatter movie that adapted the Japanese manga of the same name by Masahiko Takajo and Tetsuya Saruwatari. With Fan Siu-wong as Ricky Ho Lik Wong, a superpowered young man sent to prison for killing the crime boss responsible for his girlfriend’s death, this film achieved cult status due to its over-the-top and highly unrealistic depiction of excessive violence.
With a campy energy and laughably bad English dubbing, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky boasts an impressive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, as viewers and critics alike appreciate its outlandish nature. With a highly stylized sense of brutality, director Lam Nai-choi’s ghastly and hilarious depiction of violence was comparable to the early works of Western directors like Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson. While other Hong Kong martial arts films may be more well known, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky was a must-watch release for those who like their fighting films extra violent.
4
Samurai Cop (1991)
Directed by Amir Shervan
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Samurai Cop
R
Action
Crime
Comedy
Thriller
Release Date
November 30, 1991
Runtime
96 minutes
Cast
See All
-
Mathew Karedas
Joe Marshall
-
Mark Frazer
Frank Washington
-
Cranston Komuro
Fooj Fujiyama
-
Robert Z’Dar
Yamashita
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The direct-to-video triumph that was Samurai Cop featured two policemen on a quest to stop a renegade Yakuza gang attempting to take over the drug trade in Los Angeles. As a noticeably low-budget release, perhaps the most jarring thing about Samurai Cop was that lead actor Matthew Karedas cut his long hair short after he thought filming had wrapped, only to be brought back for reshoots that amounted to half the movie being made out of chronological order (via Vice.) This meant that Samurai Cop alternates between Karedas with his genuine hair and a laughably obvious women’s wig.
However, despite its major continuity issues, Samurai Cop was so full of B-movie martial arts fun that it was impossible not to be won over by its campy appeal. While the concept itself was already ridiculous, the unintentional humor of Samurai Cop will leave viewers questioning whether this movie was genuinely terrible or if it was an outstanding masterpiece of martial arts satire.
3
Undefeatable (1993)
Directed by Godfrey Ho
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Undefeated
Drama
Release Date
July 26, 2003
Runtime
92 minutes
Cast
-
Clifton Collins Jr.
Loco
-
John Leguizamo
Lex Vargas
-
Vanessa Ferlito
Lizette Sanchez
-
Omar Benson Miller
Mack
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Martial arts movie legend Cynthia Rothrock has had some extraordinary roles across her career, as her debut alongside Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam signaled her as a major new name in the world of fighting films. While Rothrock has plenty of great roles under her belt, Kristi Jones in Undefeatable ranks among the most outlandish. As the story of a woman avenging her sister’s death at the hands of a crazed martial arts rapist, Undefeatable’s serious premise made the ridiculousness of its choreography all the more jarring.
While the entire movie was packed with over-the-top sequences, the most ridiculous must-watch moment came as Rothrock backflipped her way through a fight so erratic it managed to be featured on the TV reality show truTV Presents: World’s Dumbest Brawlers. As a so-bad-it’s-good martial arts movie that was packed with memeable moments, Undefeatable was not to be missed.
2
New York Ninja (2021)
Directed by John Liu & Kurtis M. Spieler
New York Ninja
Action
Crime
Thriller
Release Date
October 2, 2021
Director
John Liu, Kurtis Spieler
Cast
-
Michael Berryman
-
Darius Churchman
-
Vinnie Penna
-
Leon Issacs
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was a martial arts movie shot in 1984 but not released until 2021 after its footage was discovered and restored. With John Liu as the original director and Kurtis M. Spieler as the redirector in charge of reconstructing the movie, New York Ninja had an unusual production history that only adds to its mysterious legacy. Telling the story of a news station sound technician who becomes a vigilante ninja after the death of his pregnant girlfriend, New York Ninja had all the tenets of a 1980s classic, even if viewers only got to enjoy it decades later.
While the goofy nature of New York Ninja means it falls into the must-watch terrible movie camp of martial arts films, the genuine heart at the center of its story meant it stood leagues above the average campy 1980s fighting film. As a fun-filled B-movie of exceptional appeal, the film preservation and home video distributor Vinegar Syndrome did the world a favor when they revisited and finally released New York Ninja.
1
The Dragon Lives Again (1977)
Directed by Law Kei
The fantasy comedy martial arts superhero movie The Dragon Lives Again featured the soul of Bruce Lee going to the underworld and meeting various cultural icons from times past. With Bruce Leung Siu-Lung in the role of Lee, this film came just four years after the martial arts star’s untimely death and featured him alongside the likes of Dracula, James Bond, The Godfather, and The Exorcist. Adding to this, Lee also befriended martial arts legends like the One-Armed Boxer as he took part in brutal battles across literal Hell.
While the jury’s still out on whether The Dragon Lives Again was a tongue-in-cheek tribute to a kung fu icon or a cheap cash grab attempting to profit from the late actor’s name, it still stood as the most ridiculous must-see martial arts movie out there. As ridiculous as it was surreal, The Dragon Lives Again rightfully places Lee’s legacy as a figure as iconic and enduring as the greatest literary characters ever created. There have been plenty of terrible martial arts movies over the years, and this was yet another example of a bad movie done well.
Sources: Maxim, Quentin Tarantino: Interviews, Vice
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment